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Mushrooms are rich in two types of antioxidants that help to combat ageing and keep the brain healthy, according to US scientists.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease prevalence is lower in countries that eat more mushrooms, they said.

“It's preliminary, but you can see that countries that have more ergothioneine - an antioxidant - in their diets, countries like France and Italy, also have lower incidences of neurodegenerative diseases,” said Robert Beelman, Professor of food science at Penn State University.

“People in countries like the US, which has low amounts of ergothioneine in the diet, have a higher probability of diseases like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer’s.

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“But, it's something to look into, especially because the difference between the countries with low rates of neurodegenerative diseases is about three milligrams per day, which is about five button mushrooms each day.”

The antioxidants in the mushrooms help to destroy harm chemicals, known as free radicals.

Free radicals can cause a number of health conditions, including cancer and heart disease.

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Dementia symptoms: Mushrooms have antioxidants that could fight free radicals